Southern Nights and Fireflies
by Midnight-Cheshire
Summary: Luke returns home from the Marines a changed man. Rating will be changed to M later. Warnings inside first chapter. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Southern Nights and Fireflies  
>Dukes of Hazzard<strong>

**Disclaimer: The Dukes aren't mine.**

**Summary: **_Luke returns home from the Marines a changed man. Rating __will __be changed to M later. Triggers (thoughts of suicide, attempts, PTSD)_

**AN: **_This story is purely experimental. A prequel to Aftermath (If I Die Young). If it goes well, I will continue it. Please read, enjoy and leave some lovely feedback!__Very short chapter, compared to what I normally write._

_There's a poll on my profile that desperately needs your votes._

_As an experimental chapter, it needed to be added to. So here it is.  
><em>

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><p>Winters in Georgia were usually mild, and snowless. The roads got a little icy once in a while, thanks to the humid, rainy weather in some areas. The nights were rarely any different; the temperature didn't change much.<br>So late in the evening, most of Hazzard's residents were cozy in bed, fast asleep and dead to the world. Two cousins, Daisy and Bo, waited excitedly for the return of their oldest cousin, who'd be arriving any minute now. Three years ago, in 1968, right after his high school graduation, he had been drafted to the Marines. In March of the next year, his first tour was over and he returned for a few weeks, but spent a considerable amount of that time with his then girlfriend.

Uncle Jesse had left almost an hour ago to meet him in town, where the bus would drop him off. The drive to town alone was at most twenty minutes, so any second now the truck would be coming up the driveway. Both kids sat by the windows facing the dusty dirt driveway, the porch light casting a dim yellow glow across the yard.

"I see 'em!" Eleven year old Bo exclaimed, jumping up and running outside. Daisy followed suit, and they both stopped on the porch. The truck's engine shut off, and the doors opened. Jesse was the first out, and he reached into the back of the truck and first removed a pair of crutches, passing them over to Luke. The next thing removed from the back was the large duffel bag that contained all of Luke's belongings that hadn't left Hazzard when he had.  
>"I'll carry it!" Bo said, attempting to pick up the duffel bag, but only succeeding in dragging it.<br>"Careful with that." Jesse said. "All three of ya need to get to bed."

In the light of the house, both younger cousins notice how ghastly Luke actually looks. He's paler, thinner, and bruised. As short as his hair was, it was a mess, and there were dark circles around his eyes giving the impression that he probably hasn't slept well, if at all, in several weeks.  
>He casts aside the crutches, leaning them against the wall by the coat rack, and limps to the living room. He almost stumbles through the door, but catches himself and goes to the sofa. Collapsing into it, he lets out a heavy sigh and closes his eyes.<p>

Given the hour of the night, a jovial reunion wasn't expected right away, but the boy had hardly said a word since getting out of the truck. Hardly even acknowledged them. He stopped at the porch, and leaned the crutches against one of the support beams. Sinking to his knees on the bottom step, he let Bo envelope him in a tight hug, closely followed by Daisy.

Blue eyes, once bright and full of life, were duller, sadder, and brimming with tears. "You're home." Daisy whispered, just loud enough for Luke to hear.

A few minutes later, Bo was fast asleep in bed, and Daisy was about to head upstairs when she found Luke trying to go up as well.  
>"You're gonna hurt yerself tryin' to get up there." She pointed out, stepping in front of him. "You just go wait in there." She said, gesturing to the living room.<br>She went ahead upstairs and got a pillow and some blankets, and a pair of pyjamas, then brought them back down.

"Goodnight." She said, but her older cousin barely uttered a reply. Going upstairs for the final time, Daisy went to her own room and quietly shut the door behind her.

Tomorrow should be better.

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><p><em>Sorry if Luke seems OOC here. That's going to change as the story progresses, since it's supposed to be like this in the early chapters. I am learning a lot while doing the proper research for this project. I have found various helpful books, articles, websites, etc. that have provided me with very pertinent information. <em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Southern Nights and Fireflies****  
>Chapter Two<strong>

**Disclaimer: **_The Dukes aren't mine._

**AN: **_This story serves as a prequel and continuity to 'Aftermath'. You don't have to read it first, but I would recommend checking it out._

_So far, it isn't finished, so I'm working on that as I write this. The timeline for this story directly interferes with the canon timeline, meaning there's a lot going on here that never happened in the show's official timeline.  
>Here's a much longer chapter for you!<br>There's a poll on my profile that's in corner crying 'cause it needs some votes, go check it out please!_

_**Kimduke-79: **__I sure hope so! Thanks for reading!_

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><p>Here I Am<p>

Sleep is wonderful thing. Especially when you haven't had much of it in several days. The blissful, dreamless state is welcoming, even more-so than the pillows and blankets that likely brought you there. After everyone went to bed last night, the house fell silent save for the typical creaking that the old farmhouse emitted when it settled.  
>It was probably seven when Luke finally stirred, only awoken by the rather loud sounds of everyone else in the house getting ready for the day. Trudging into the kitchen, he almost tripped over the backpack that sat by the doorway, realizing that Bo and Daisy hadn't started Christmas vacation yet.<br>"Bo, I said to put that by the _back _door!" Daisy fussed, grabbing a strap and sliding the bag across to the back door.

"Sorry!" Bo said, climbing into the chair for breakfast.  
>Once everyone was seated, Jesse said grace and the kids started eating, but Luke could only manage a few bites.<br>"How are ya feeling?" Jesse asked.  
>"Still pretty exhausted." Luke answered. <em>Was exhausted even the right word?<em> "But much better, thank you."  
>Jesse's concern didn't go away, but it was quelled. He expected Luke to be quiet and reserved immediately after returning home.<p>

After breakfast, Daisy and Bo quickly made their way down to the end of the driveway to wait for the bus. Daisy asked if it'd be okay that she went to the library after school with a friend to study for mid-term exams, and promised she'd be back before six thirty.  
>Jesse nodded his approval, but said something that Luke didn't quite catch.<p>

Once the school bus was just a shrinking yellow dot down the road, Luke grabbed the key to his old car from the end table, intent on leaving for a while.  
>"You should be getting' some rest." Jesse said, when he saw his nephew heading for the door. "And you shouldn't be tryin' ta drive with that leg as hurt as it is."<br>Luke couldn't help but smile a little. Jesse _always_ took care of his family, so he certainly wasn't surprised at how worried the older man was.

"I'm not goin' far." He reassured. "Just to Sweetwater county line."

"To see Miss Carter?" Jesse asked, with a frown.

"Yes sir." Luke said, confused.

"Luke, there's omething' you need to hear. Thought you knew it already, though." Jesse said, leading Luke back to the kitchen and advising him to sit.  
>The atmosphere had changed, considerably. Enough to concern Luke.<p>

"Last year, Luke, Miss Carter passed away.

Luke shook his head, disbelieving. "You gotta be wrong." He said. "There's no way…you gotta be wrong!"

"I'm afraid not, son." Jesse said sadly. "I was there when it happened."

Luke lowered his gaze to the dark wood of the table, his forehead in his hand. He gripped the car key tighter, the edge almost cutting into the palm of his hand before he released it and allowed it to fall to the table.  
>"What happened?" he asked dejectedly.<p>

"You've heard enough bad news for the day, Luke." Jesse responded softly. "You need to rest."

"Please, just tell me." Luke pleaded. He actually didn't want to know, at least, how horrible it was. Just if it was at all. Obviously Jesse didn't want Bo or Daisy to overhear it, if they didn't know already. Maybe Daisy going to the library was an excuse to keep herself and Bo out of the house for a little while longer.

"She had a baby, Luke. Somethin' happened in the delivery room and she didn't make it."

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><p>It was much later that day, after convincing Jesse that he was fine enough to drive himself (and forcing himself not to limp whenever he walked), that he was finally able to leave the house.<br>First of all, he needed to clear his head. He wanted to be angry that no one had sent any word to him before he was discharged, and that Jesse had waited until today to say anything. But he understood why. He certainly wouldn't want to pile bad new like that on someone after being through what he had.

He was still meaning to go to the county line, but he drew out the trip there by going as slow as he could without dropping below, twenty five mph. In half an hour, however, he found himself approaching the semi-circular, paved driveway in front of the Carter house.

This place was far more sightly than the farmhouse. It was a nineteenth century, small plantation house that had been there longer than the tri-county area itself. It had been well cared for in its past, repainted a cream white/tan every two years and anything falling apart repaired or replaced. He had only seen the inside of it twice, and that was fairly long ago, he'd almost forgotten what it was like inside.  
>The covered porch ran along three sides of it, the fourth being blocked by the turret that towered along the front left corner of the house. The windows were all closed, and smoke billowed from the chimney.<br>Finally getting out, he went up to the door and rang the bell, heart pounding in his chest while he waited for it to be answered.

Within five minutes, a young woman in nursing scrubs opened the door. Before the poor girl could even speak, a raspy voice called from another room, "If it's one of them Dukes, tell 'em it isn't Sunday yet!"  
>"Are you?" the girl asked, smiling kindly.<br>"Yes, ma'am." Luke said, hoping she wouldn't shut the door in his face.  
>"I'm sorry then," the girl said. "But she said not until Sunday."<br>"Whatever she means, it's not about that." Luke assured, shivering slightly when a gust of wind blew under the porch from the right side of the lawn.

Reluctantly, the nurse unlocked the screen door and let him in, leading him to the sitting room where an older woman sat in a wooden chair by the hearth.  
>She looked to be around her sixties, with dark grey and black hair and an expression that hated the world around her. She, Mrs. Carter, was always an unhappy woman who had grown up in the city, but settled in the country side when she married forty some-odd years ago.<p>

Of her five children, Rachel was the youngest, and the only one who hadn't left Georgia according to what their mother believed they should do. They were all 'late in life' children, and Mrs. Carter's rapidly declining health required that she had near constant care. Without Rachel or any of her other children around, it was obvious she had to hire a nurse.

"Oh, it's you." Mrs. Carter hissed, seeing Luke standing across the room from her. "I thought you were dead."

"Ma'am," the nurse interrupted. "Mavis is awake."

"I told you not to bother me with that child." Mrs. Carter admonished, clearly showing at least _some _respect to the person caring for her.

"Then let me take her." Luke said.

"Oh please, you're still a child yourself." Mrs. Carter sneered.

This was _not _the place that the baby needed to be. Quite obviously, Mrs. Carter showed no love toward her.

"I know you loved your daughter." Luke said. "And you know that this isn't what she'd want."

Mrs. Carter said nothing other than, "I'll have everything taken care of."

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><p><em>I spent an hour and a half writing the first half of this this morning. Let me know what you think!<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**Southern Nights and Fireflies****  
>Chapter Three<strong>

**Disclaimer: **_The Dukes aren't mine._

**AN: **I'm finding time just about everyday to work on this, and to revise some pre-written chapters. _That's _why I'm updating so quickly. Please don't be alarmed if the updates slow down soon, stuff is starting to come up and I might be busy for a while. I promise to stick to this story. Feel free to leave suggestions and criticism in a review or a PM! It's all much appreciated!

_There's a poll on my profile that's in corner crying 'cause it needs some votes, go check it out please!_

_**Kimduke-79: **__Glad you like it! _

_**LukasKristopherDuke: **__Yep, we're just going to have to see how this plays out. Thanks for reading!_

_**Guest: **__Perhaps it will be, maybe it won't. Babies can be a pain!_

_**Here ya'll go, have another chapter! *furiously throws it at you***_

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><p>Here I Am pt 2<p>

When the Duke boy came over, Mrs. Carter expected herself to fight to keep custody of that baby. She expected herself to maintain the bitter, angry, façade that she'd held since the death of her daughter. But somehow, those few, quietly spoken words appealed to her already shattered heart.  
>She knew that deep down, she loved her granddaughter. Somewhere down she did, but she didn't like her. She knew that for years to come she might not want much to do with her, because seeing that little girl's face reminded her of Rachel.<br>After her nurse, who was, in actuality, her only other daughter, Victoria, dropped her off in town on Saturday morning, she asked her to let her be for a few hours.  
>"I'll be fine." She assured her. "I won't break." Her voice had a proud, but pained undertone that Victoria almost couldn't ignore.<p>

First of all, she needed to file the custody papers. Since Rachel passed, she had full custody, but had been allowing the Dukes to look after her every other week. Knowing that the baby was going someplace where she was surrounded by people who loved her, rather than one bitter person who couldn't get over her own pain, lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.  
><em>Yes,<em> she thought. _I love my little Mavis. _  
>The first place she wanted to go was to the courthouse, and once the paperwork was done, to walk around town for a while.<p>

Victoria didn't particularly enjoy the company of infants. In fact, she had decided early in her life that she didn't want any children. She didn't hate them, no. But she didn't see herself as the motherly type who would ever be ready for such a task.  
>While her mother was in town, she took to packing for Mavis. She figured that the baby wouldn't be spending more than a night or two here in the future, so anything that had to go, was either packed, or dismantled and put in the back of her car.<p>

The crib stayed, of course, but the clothes and a few smaller pieces of furniture would go. Mavis, a bubbly little one, babbled to her from her crib, smiling whenever Victoria stopped to turn and make a funny face for her. After the necessities were taken care of, she sat cross legged on the ornate carpet that adorned the center of Mavis' room (which had been the room that Rachel shared with Victoria in their childhood years). She looked around, and decided that a few old photographs and trinkets could go as well. One of these small trinkets was a porcelain, pastel coloured, musical carousel small enough to fit in her two hands put together.  
>To make the music play, there was a small brass key inserted into the side and twisted.<br>It was an old little thing, with a chip on the top where the brass trim met the porcelain. The instrument had been sitting on top of the chest in that room since she was a child, and the imperfection came from when Rachel accidentally knocked it down and it fell on the rug.  
>Now it was used to lull the baby asleep at night.<p>

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><p>Later in the afternoon, after she brought her mother home to rest, Victoria loaded Mavis into the car and began the drive to the Duke farm. Daisy met her at the door, bringing the baby up to the small, spare bedroom which would be hers once she was settled in.<br>Standing just inside the door, she looked around. The house seemed small and compact from the outside, yet had plenty of space inside. It still wasn't like the house she grew up in, though. It was smaller.

"Thought you wouldn't be here 'till Sunday." A voice said, drawing her from her thoughts.  
>"Luke," she greeted. "Mother thought I should bring her early."<br>"Figures." Luke said. "She probably hates her."

Victoria knew for certain that her mother wasn't the warmest, kindest person in the world. She was strict and could be colder than a blizzard. But she hated almost no one.

"I want to tell you somethin'." Victoria said. "About my mother."  
>"She doesn't hate anyone. But she's bitter and hurt. Just about everything she cared about is gone now, including my baby sister. She loves that baby like she'd love any one of her own kids, but looking at her reminds her too much of what she's lost."<p>

She paused to let the words sink in. As she spoke, she realized how true her own words were.

"She's getting sick too." Victoria added. "The doctor thinks its early onset dementia. And she knows that pretty soon she won't be able to care for Mavis. I want you to think about that." She said. "Maybe someday she can look past herself and want to get to know the little one, but don't you dare think that she would hate someone so _innocent._"

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><p>"You sure you're ready for somethin' like this?" Jesse asked, later that night. Luke sat on the bed next to the crib, watching Mavis try to fight sleep while she stared at him curiously. She had hardly uttered a sound since he'd started looking after her; blue eyes matching his, there was something that reminded him what family was <em>really <em>about. He had been real quiet these last few days, recuperating not only physically, but mentally as well, and that could take far more time than anything else. But he would fight to push past it if it meant being there for his baby girl.

"I don't know." Luke said, honestly. "But I wasn't going to leave her there."

"You talked to Mrs. Carter?"  
>"She didn't say much. But her daughter, Victoria did."<br>"About what?"  
>"Things I can relate to." Luke stated, simply. Boy was it true.<p>

"We're here for you, Luke."

"I know." Luke whispered, as Mavis's eyes finally closed and she dozed off into blissful sleep. Jesse left again, deciding to let Luke process everything that had been happening. Daisy and Bo were fast asleep in their rooms, gone to bed early to get rested for church in the morning.

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><p><em>Review please! What do you think about Mrs. Carter, about her characterization and whether her attitude toward Luke is justified. <em>

_**REMEMBER THE POLL. IT NEEDS YOU!**_

_Anyway, I only have one other (main) OC that was born before the late eighties/early nineties, so writing this is kind of weird for me. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Southern Nights and Fireflies****  
>Chapter Four<strong>

**Disclaimer: **_The Dukes aren't mine._

**AN: **Sorry, but this chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but at least it's longer than the first.  
>I'm finding time just about every day to work on this, and to revise some pre-written chapters. <em>That's <em>why I'm updating so quickly. Please don't be alarmed if the updates slow down soon, stuff is starting to come up and I might be busy for a while. I promise to stick to this story. Feel free to leave suggestions and criticism in a review or a PM! It's all much appreciated!  
>BTW, some chapters span over the course of several days to several weeks. I don't have the time to try and drag everything along with one chap representing one day or week. There will be a lot of time skips!<p>

_There's a poll on my profile that's in corner crying 'cause it needs some votes, go check it out please!_

_**My weekend is completely booked, so here's a second chapter in case I don't get more finished this week.**_

_**Guest:**__There's definitely going to be more 'little Bo' here. Glad you're enjoying it so far!  
><em>

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><p>Several weeks later, things had settled around the house better. Mavis was accustomed to living her permanently, and quite enjoying the time she spent with Bo and Daisy now that the two younger cousins had started the two week break for Christmas.<br>Luke was getting around more, and was more willing to go out and run errands now. He'd gotten more sleep, and appreciated the fact that Mavis was a very quiet baby that rarely woke in the night.

She had his eyes and hair, but she had her mother's pale skin. She'd probably look like Rachel when she got older, but that was thinking years ahead from now. Right now, the almost one year old was in the yard with her two older cousins, while Luke and Jesse were in town to pick some supplies up. A couple of new tools and hardware for repairs around the barn and on the tractor, so they would be gone for a while.

"Don't let her get in the mud!" Daisy said, walking past Bo before Mavis could crawl through a mud puddle in the yard. The three of them were outside, just to enjoy the particularly warm, cloudless day away from the confines of the house.  
>Daisy picked the little one up under her arms and moved her to the picnic blanket she had laid out for her to sit on, and sat down beside her.<p>

"Can she talk yet?" Bo asked curiously.  
>"A little bit."<br>"Can she walk?"  
>"Just a little." Daisy answered, quickly. Mavis was trying to, but she couldn't quite stand up on her own yet.<br>"It's getting colder. Can we go in now?" Bo asked, after a few minutes of peaceful silence. "Alright," Daisy said. "But leave your boots by the door."  
>"Why?"<br>"Because they're muddy."  
>"Why?"<br>"Because you walked through the mud. And don't ask why again!" Daisy added the last part, annoyed. Bo grinned and ran up to the porch, kicking off his boots and running inside.

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><p>Luke never <em>did<em> say what was wrong with his leg, but then again, he never talked about any of his injuries. No one knew exactly how many there were, or how long he'd been hospitalized before being discharged.  
>Everyone treaded lightly around him now, because they knew he'd seen war. He'd probably seen some close friends and comrades die on the battlefield.<br>There was no telling what he felt now. Before he left, he'd been lively, and outgoing. But now he was quiet, and his eyes alone said that he didn't want to be bothered with much.

He insisted that he was alright, and feeling better. Every morning, he woke up early to do chores, sometimes extra so there wouldn't be too much for everyone else. Sometimes he'd tell stories about his few weeks in basic training, and some stories from base camp, but he never mentioned any of the bad stuff, not even to Jesse.

It started only days after he arrived back; he would wake up from a particularly bad dream, one which would leave him out of breath and in a cold sweat when he finally woke up, and he would be able to go back to sleep. He'd get up, as quietly as possible, and walk around the house, checking the doors, and then checking on everyone else.

Christmas came and went, and Bo and Daisy were back in school for the second semester. There was a lot of work to be done, getting ready for spring. The fields needed to be tended to, now that it was almost time for the crops to be planted, so the workload, for everyone, had just about doubled. Luke appreciated having the work to distract him from everything else. He'd rather be immersed in a ton of work than sitting around doing nothing, while he 'recovered'.

He felt fine, to be honest. He without a doubt looked healthier, though he still limped a little, but he barely noticed it anymore.  
>He was perfectly capable of doing any heavy lifting that was necessary. At this point no amount of convincing would actually convince him otherwise.<p>

It was late in the afternoon, sometime in early January; he was working on the tractor, near the open doors of the barn, when Bo decided to come outside. Acknowledging that his older cousin was working, he opted to climb up into the hayloft and wait for him to finish before bothering him at all.  
>There wasn't a lot he could do up there, but he attempted to entertain himself anyway. A piece of wood, about a foot long and heavier than it looked, was sitting on the edge of the hayloft window, just above the tractor outside. It was probably old scrap from something that had to be fixed a long time ago, Bo thought, reaching for it.<br>His hand brushed the side of it, yet he couldn't grip it, and the piece of wood instead fell from the hayloft. It made a loud cracking sound when in connected with the metal of the tractor, loud enough to scare the chickens that wandered around in the yard and startled the goat in the pen.

Luke, who was unaware that Bo had been there at all, jumped from surprise, looking around for the source of the noise. For a moment, Bo thought that Luke didn't even know it was a piece of wood that fell; the look in his eyes could only be described as almost frantic, or fearful.  
>The wood lay, undamaged, in the dirt at his feet while he silently cursed and got back to work.<p>

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><p><em>I thrive on reviews.<br>I've been working on this for quite a while, but it's far from perfect. If you spot something you feel doesn't fit, let me know and I'll try to fix it!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Southern Nights and Fireflies****  
>Chapter Five<strong>

**Disclaimer: **_The Dukes aren't mine._

**AN: **Left my flash drive at home today and had to write the entire draft over in a notebook so I could continue where I left off. Feel free to leave suggestions and criticism in a review or a PM! It's all much appreciated!  
>BTW, some chapters span over the course of several days to several weeks. I don't have the time to try and drag everything along with one chap representing one day or week. There will be a lot of time skips!<p>

_There's a poll on my profile that's in corner crying 'cause it needs some votes, go check it out please!_

_**LukasKristopherDuke: **__Spot on._

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><p><em>The humidity and the rain had almost been too much for some of the young soldiers here; slipping in the mud, and getting their feet stuck and falling back when keeping up was of utmost importance. The small squad were constantly assaulted by mosquitoes, especially at night, when the distant sounds of gunfire and planes kept their eyes open and their senses in such an alert state that sleep was rarely an option. At least a quarter of the young men here had been seventeen and eighteen years old when they'd been drafted, right out of their junior and senior years of high school, some never had the opportunity to graduate. Each one had a brighter future ahead of them, but they were instead here. The rest were older, and joined on their own accord. <em>

_Over the edge of a muddy ditch, a pair of blue eyes was barely visible, taking the time to ascertain their surroundings. Each soldier remained low to the ground, crouched or on their knees, wary of the silence that surrounded them and the battlefield. It had been like that since dawn, and they weren't halfway to where they needed to be.  
>They needed better cover, and fast, the silence was a death omen; it announced the enemy's presence. Possibly all around them. Soft, almost nonexistent footsteps carried each young soldier closer to their destination, still a few miles away. Heads turned over shoulders cautiously, observing the thickening jungle vegetation that shielded them from the sky and sunlight. <em>

_The sound of a slow moving current, muffled by the dense trees and brush, signaled a fresh water creek. It was the halfway point to their stop, yet listening to it did nothing to allay the tension. The squad's leader, Sergeant Duke, had been drafted right after his own high school graduation.  
>Back home, he'd left his family, and the girl he loved; Rachel Carter. He regularly received mail from them, but for the last several days, he hadn't the chance to even open the latest letter, from Rachel. He'd open it when he got to base camp, however, until then, it would remain unsealed. <em>

_The previous one had, in her neat, crisp handwriting, announced 'big news' that couldn't be confirmed. He supposed that the currently unsealed letter was whatever wasn't written in the previous letter. He felt relieved, even just a little, when they crossed the creek. When they arrived at base, their tour would end and they would go home for a few weeks for a well-deserved leave.  
>Frequently, the others would talk about their families, friends and hometowns. This was something they needed. Footfalls remained silent, breathing hitched whenever a twig snapped, or even when a leaf fell.<br>A hiss of pain, and a string of curses emitted from the rear of the group. Everyone halted, some holding their breath. Corporal Gibbson was less than three feet away from a large, angry snake. Coiled in the center of the path, fangs bared, it hissed warnings at Gibbson. It had already bitten him once. Something nearby, hidden, moved. _

_In a split second, in the blink of an eye, gunfire erupted around the squad and Gibbson fell. _

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><p>Luke awoke with a start, the darkness of his room greeting him as his eyes searched his surroundings. His shoulders shook, his breathing labored, as he mentally reminded himself that he was <em>safe<em> and at _home_. Not on the battlefield. Bo, asleep on the next bed, shifted in his sleep, unaware of anything else going on in the room. The older of the two sat up in the bed, allowing his vision to adjust to the darkness, and quietly got out of bed. Slipping out into the hallway, he crept to what used to be the guest room. It now served as Mavis' room; door slightly ajar and scarcely furnished, with only the bare necessities, with the crib against the wall beside the window.  
>Mavis, fast asleep, did not stir when he entered the room. Her eyelids fluttered in a dream state, though the deafening silence did nothing to quell Luke's concern for his daughter's safety.<br>Wide awake, and knowing he wouldn't go to sleep again, he settled into the chair beside the crib. One of Daisy's schoolbooks, a copy of _The Great Gatsby_, lay beside it, with a bookmark halfway through the pages. So he picked it up and began reading from page one.

Fairly close to sunrise, when the early morning birds sensed the morning coming, and the rooster perched himself on a fencepost to announce the beginning of the day, Luke had already left the house quietly to take care of some daily chores. He began with the animals, beginning with the young mule, Maudine, that had been brought here a few months prior.  
>After laying out the grain for the chickens, he went back to the house, which was now a hub of early morning activity. The lights were on and everyone was awake, in the kitchen for breakfast.<p>

"The animals are taken care of." He announced, taking a seat beside the wooden high chair that Mavis sat in. The dark haired baby babbled unintelligibly at no one in particular.

"You look awful." Daisy remarked, but not in a spiteful way.  
>"Didn't sleep much." Luke responded.<p>

"You've already done plenty, why don't you take the rest of the day off and rest awhile?" Jesse suggested, taking his own seat after setting the last plate on the table.

"I appreciate it, Uncle Jesse, but I'm fine."  
>"Are you sure?"<br>"Positive." Luke nodded.  
>"BO!"<br>"Yes!" Bo exclaimed. "She said my name!"  
>"To be fair," Daisy said. "She called the goat 'ba', yesterday."<p>

"I don't care, I love this thing." Bo said, smiling.  
>"Did you just call my child a 'thing'?" Luke asked, incredulously. Bo shrugged, sinking back into his chair. Daisy covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.<p>

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><p><em>Let me know what you think!<em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Southern Nights and Fireflies****  
><strong>**Chapter Six**

**Disclaimer: **_The Dukes aren't mine._

_There's a poll on my profile that's in corner crying 'cause it needs some votes, go check it out please!_

_**AN: **__I have some characters to introduce in this and the next chapter!_

_**DixieDavenport: **__Thank you so much for your feedback!_

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><p>The Boar's Nest was a hub of activity, day and night. As the county's best dinerbar, a lot of people came through hourly, so the place was constantly busy. The atmosphere of the place varied, sometimes it was fairly clear, and more of the restaurant type, other days it was smokey and smelled overwhelmingly like beer and cigarettes.  
>Deputy Enos Strate, still new to being a law officer, was often assigned to look after this place in case of a dispute. He was responsible for keeping anyone who got drunk from leaving in the driver's seat of their car. Thankfully, he thought, that didn't happen as often as some people might expect it to. Today, he had been there around an hour or so, in the afternoon, when he noticed that Luke Duke, the oldest Duke cousin, was <em>still <em>there. He'd been there for a while, apparently.  
>He was at the bar, elbows on the counter, forehead resting on one hand and a half empty beer bottle in the other. He didn't look good at all.<p>

"Buddy roe, you alright?" Enos asked.  
>"I'm fine." Luke said, but is was obviously <em>not <em>true. He smelled like booze, and the two words he spoke were close to slurred. Like he was trying to give the impression that he wasn't drunk.  
>"It's gettin' late, Luke." Enos said, but Luke dismissed him.<br>"You need to be gettin' home."  
>"Fine." Luke said, removing the car key from his pocket, getting up. He headed toward the door, but the alcohol, combined with the injured leg made walking more difficult than it should have been. He nearly stumbled, catching himself on the edge of a table and pausing.<p>

"You don't need to be driving. I'll take you."

Luke insisted that he was fine. His tone and balance said otherwise, however, and Enos wouldn't give in. He didn't spend much time around the Dukes anymore, now that he's a law officer, but he was aware of the difficult time his old friend had been put through.  
>Once out of the parking lot and down the road, Enos radioed Jesse to let him know what was going on. Luke was drunk and was being brought home instead of being allowed to drive.<p>

At the house, Luke exited the car and walked slowly toward the house, careful not to lose his balance again. He came through the door quietly; intent on going up to the room that he and Bo shared to just lay down, but Jesse was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Care to explain why you got drunk?"  
>"I'm not." Luke said, avoiding eye contact.<br>"You should know by now that you can't lie to me." Jesse said. "This had better not become a habit, Luke. I know yer havin' a hard time, but this isn't how to deal with it."  
>Luke merely nodded. Jesse didn't say anything more, and let Luke pass him and go upstairs.<p>

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><p>A week later, after getting his car back, Luke had avoided the Boar's Nest completely. Since he was able to drive comfortably now, so he would take Bo to school, and let Daisy drive in the morning (she was about to get her own license and needed the practice), and pick them both up in the afternoon.<br>He was trying to keep busy. Working on the farm alone wasn't enough anymore, and the summer harvest was still several months away, so there was little to do. No one in town wanted to hire yet, so all that was left was running moonshine.  
>Avoiding getting caught was the trick, though. Boss Hogg knew that the Duke family was a ridge runner family. The Dukes had been making and selling moonshine for two hundred years; the best in the tri-county area – and possibly the state of Georgia. Hogg was a crooked man, looking to make a profit from anything and anyone. He falsified city records, staged thefts, issued trumped tickets, and relentlessly searched for a way to put at least <em>one <em>of the Dukes behind bars.

That usually meant Sheriff Coltrane was staking out every possible route out of the county in order to perform a 'routine traffic stop' and search the car for the moonshine.

The Dukes were always one step ahead though.

"I'm bringin' a shipment to the other side of Sweetwater." Jesse said, one afternoon. "But I know Rosco will be waiting." He explained that they would switch cars. Jesse would take Luke's car, and the moonshine, to the next county, and Luke would take 'Sweet Tillie' (the car used to transport the moonshine – usually) another route through the county.  
>If he was stopped, Rosco wouldn't find any moonshine, and the delivery would be successful.<p>

"Luke," Daisy said, "Why don't ya take Mavis with you? I'm sure she'd like to get out of the house." She suggested.

"I don't know." Luke said, unsure.

"I don't see why not." Jesse interjected. "I'll have the shine, and you can stop in town for a while." Luke nodded.

"'Sides," Bo said. "It might look suspicious if you just drive into town and drive right back out."

Jesse and Daisy agreed, so it was decided that once the delivery was over with, Luke would take Mavis to Sweetwater for a day in town.

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><p>Pulled over on the side of the road, drivers' side window rolled down, Luke watched in the mirror as the sheriff got out of his patrol car. There was a huge grin plastered on his face, and Luke rolled his eyes.<p>

"I got you now!" Rosco said. "See, I know this is the car you Dukes use this car to carry 'shine."  
>"There's no shine here." Luke said, coolly. "Search it if ya want." He offered. Rosco was momentarily taken aback by this, seeing as Dukes don't lie.<br>"Well, alrighty then. Just step on out of the car then." Rosco said. Luke complied, removing the key from the ignition and unbuckling the toddler from her seat. Both waiting next to the patrol car.  
>"If that's all," Luke said, once Rosco had stepped away from the car. "Then I'd like to be on my way."<br>Rosco nodded. "I s'pose it is then."

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><p>Sweetwater County certainly was a homey little place, but far from being as interesting as Hazzard. People rushed around, trying to snag the after-the-holidays sales. There were people at the little park in the town square, Christmas decorations still hanging in shop windows, and cars parked in a line along the sidewalk.<br>Luke stopped the car in front of a barber's shop, sitting in the comfortable, heated cab before deciding to get out. There were plenty of things to do here (in fact, Daisy made a list of stuff she wanted Mavis to do), so there was no point in dawdling right now.  
>He was standing outside of the car's open door, leaning in to pick Mavis up, when an old car passed by, sputtering and backfiring as it did. The rusty old piece of junk stopped yards away, in front of a garage, and was left their by its owner.<br>Grasping the door of the car, Luke fought the uneasiness building up inside from the sudden sound. It was all too familiar, though he knew _exactly_ where he was at the moment, it was becoming harder and harder to focus on that. Heart racing and body trembling, he rested his head in the crook of his elbow, allowing all his weight to be supported by the vehicle.

"Excuse me." Someone says from behind. He doesn't quite hear them; he does- but at the moment his surroundings don't feel like his own. Whoever this is, it's like they're a ghost of some sort, speaking to nothing. Suddenly the idea of going so far out of his comfort zone so soon didn't seem like a good idea.

"Are ya alright?" the person asks, this time putting a hand on his shoulder. Luke chokes on words the first time he tries to speak, but shook his head instead.

"C'mere." They say, gently leading him away from the car to a bench in front of the shop. Luke's raises his head to rest against the painted window, finally looking around at where he was. The woman who'd gotten him away from the car was probably just a few years older than himself, and carried Mavis in her arms as she came back toward him.

"Can ya walk?" she asked, gesturing toward the shop door. Luke nodded and stood up on shaky legs, which felt weighed down, and entered through the door that she held open with her foot.

"Sit down over there." She said, pointing to one of the shiny red chairs in the waiting area. The shop is empty, and the hours posted on the door says that the shop is closed for the rest of the weekend. There's newspapers on the end table next to one of the chairs, and a sports magazine, while the radio rambled on quietly from some forgotten corner in the back of the building.

"My name's Carol Fabel. Those two over there," she said, pointing to the back where two people were. "Are my husband and daughter, Ulrich and Olivia. Stay in here as long as you need to." Carol said, handing him a glass of cool tap water. Ulrich had his back turned, focused on cleaning the place up. There was a broom and dustpan against the wall, waiting while he wiped the mirrors clean. Olivia, about four years old, sat in one of the chairs, staring at the toddler that her mother still held.

"I'm fine." Luke said, trying to hand it back.

"Just rest for a little bit, okay?" Carol said, concerned. She knew a panic attack when she saw one. Minor or major, she knew better than to think nothing was wrong after it happened.

"Where ya from?" she asked.

"Hazzard." Luke said.

"We live right on the county line." Carol said, smiling.

Olivia, having remained quiet for the better part of the entire day, slid from the chair she occupied and walked over to her mother and the stranger were. Staring at the half asleep toddler, she then looked up at Luke with big, brown eyes.

"What's baby's name?" she asked.

"Her name's Mavis."

"Hi, Mavis." Olivia said, turning her attention back to the younger girl. "I'm 'Livia."

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><p><em>And that is how Mavis met her best friend. <em>


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